The 'plan' is known only to the new AD. He came from NBC and was likely a key role player in that networks bidding on the BUG10 media deal.
If I was ND, I'd remain in the ACC for all other sports, and renegotiate the number of football games from 5-6 down to 3-4, with Stanford as one annually, leaving 2-3 additional ACC games.
We have a weaker-than-usual schedule this year, with 2 MAC teams and 2 service academies on the docket. And I don't see it getting any easier to put together a good schedule in the future, if the P2 went to his 10 conference games each.
We all know that isn't going to happen. The purpose of my question is will ND stay with the same deal in an expanded and watered down ACC? It seems like the Irish Olympic sports would be better off in the Big East with zero football games dedicated and far easier travel logistics. They'd then have a truly independent football schedule.
Like I said above, the fact that Swarbrick was one of the ADs lobbying to bring in Stanford, Cal and SMU shows that ND likely plans on staying with the ACC for the foreseeable future - even if a few of their heavyweights leave.
Notre Dame will still draw OOC games. Look at the A&M game this coming season. It's already being hyped. Night game, ESPN is hosting game day. It's about ratings and TV $$$$.
Sure, we have that game, but we also have 2 MAC teams and 2 service academies this year. So I'm a little disappointed in this year's schedule, personally. We shouldn't have any more than 2 mid-majors per year IMO.
Agree..
Agreed, but I think it may take 11-1 to guarantee us a spot, with this schedule. One spot's for a G5 team, so we probably need to finish in the top 11 to make it.
He may just have felt he owed a favor to the west coast schools, or want them to. There is not much point staying in the ACC if the best reasons for affiliation all leave.
Right, that's my point. The Big East has far better travel logistics, top basketball teams and zero required football games. Plus most of the schools are Catholic. Why stay in a watered down ACC where the top brands are desperately trying to get out?
Disagree. We might join the Big Ten someday IMO, if it gets to a P2 situation where you have to be in one of them to survive at the top level. But short of that, I think ND's happy in the ACC for the time being. And it's been a good home for our non-football sports, too.
Let me ask you this, then. Do you think ND would shut down football, or deemphasize it if joining the Big Ten, or some sort of super conference became the only way to win a championship, or qualify for the playoff? I ask because even the careless suggestion that ND might join the Big Ten, one of the two budding super conferences, on the occasion of their current home conference with which they enjoy pseudo conference affiliation, possibly dissolving under the weight of this impetus towards a shaking out in major CFB that will result in a new top tier that really won't have any accommodation for a so-called 'independent'..... and yet still the idea of joining a conference is anathema to you. Like some sort of junkie desperate to find a new hook-up when the cops bust up his previous drug den, and so has to hit the road and get a new arrangement going, until that one is eventually destroyed as well....
Can you read? I said nothing about ND joining the Big Ten and if you scroll up, I said the polar opposite: "We all know that isn't going to happen."
The ACC deal has been really good for us and will continue to be. Our brand quality is extremely high and will continue to be. The ACC is a better conf than the b12 by the way
If NDs brand quality was all that high they wouldn't be struggling so bad to secure the commitments of the top prospects in the country.
The ACC deal was a genius move by Jack Swarbick.
And ND is now playing essentially in the minor league of big boy football ... it's just wonderful!
And I was disappointed in this year's schedule, with 2 MAC teams and 2 service academies. It was originally supposed to be 2 MAC teams and Navy. But Miami (FL) cancelled on us at a late date, and the best Swarbrick could find to replace them was Army.
They aren't struggling. They are a top 10 recruiting program. They just got a new tv and apparel deal.
The schedule have declined drastically since the start of the ACC deal. That entire conference minus like 1 or 2 schools simply hasn't been competitive. Tying our brand to that conference is not helping the brand at all. ND is being viewed by athletes in football like we view some mid ACC school "vanilla" "mid" "unremarkable" and you can tell by the type of prospects we are attracting in kind.
